Systems and methods of facilitating sleep state entry with transcutaneous vibration

1. A computer-implemented method of treating a sleep disorder of a subject, comprising:

providing a therapeutic stimulation device comprising a transducer configured to emit a transcutaneous vibratory output to a body part of the subject;

generating physiological data with at least one sensor, from the subject;

providing the physiological data to a processor;

providing, with the processor, a stimulation pattern for the transcutaneous vibratory output to be emitted by the transducer, the stimulation pattern comprising a perceived pitch, a perceived beat, and an intensity of the transcutaneous vibratory output, wherein the transcutaneous vibratory output is produced by multiplicatively combining a sine wave-shaped envelope generated using the perceived beat with a wave pattern generated using the perceived pitch;

causing, by the processor, the transducer to emit the transcutaneous vibratory output in the stimulation pattern;

determining if the subject is in a pre-sleep state or a sleep state based on the physiological data; and

altering, by the processor, the stimulation pattern based on a determination that the subject is in at least one of the pre-sleep state or the sleep state,

wherein altering the provided stimulation pattern comprises at least one of (i) reducing a frequency of the perceived pitch, (ii) increasing an interval of the perceived beat, or (iii) reducing the intensity.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising powering off the therapeutic stimulation device based on the determination that the subject is in the sleep state.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein reducing the frequency of the perceived pitch further comprises reducing the frequency of the perceived pitch to a first reduced frequency and maintaining the first reduced frequency for a first selected period of time.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3 , further comprising reducing the first reduced frequency to a second reduced frequency and maintaining the second reduced frequency for a second selected period of time.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein increasing the interval of the perceived beat further comprises increasing the interval of the perceived beat to a first increased interval and maintaining the first increased interval for a first selected period of time.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5 , further comprising increasing the first increased interval to a second increased interval and maintaining the second increased interval for a second selected period of time.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein reducing the intensity further comprises reducing the intensity to a first reduced intensity and maintaining the first reduced intensity for a first selected period of time.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7 , further comprising reducing the first reduced intensity to a second reduced intensity and maintaining the second reduced intensity for a second selected period of time.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the stimulation pattern is generated in part by a first oscillation at a first frequency that is in a range of 1-100 Hz, and a second oscillation at a second frequency that differs from the first frequency by 0.0001 to 1.5 Hz.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein multiplicatively combining is in accordance with a relationship:

[sin(2.0*π*freq_perceived_pitch* t )]*[sin(π*freq_perceived_beat* t )].

11. A system to treat a sleep disorder of a subject comprising:

a stimulation device comprising:

a transducer adapted to emit a transcutaneous vibratory output;

a physiological sensor generating physiological data of the subject; and

a processor in electronic communication with the transducer and the physiological sensor, the processor receiving the physiological data of the subject and programmed to:

cause the transducer to emit stimulation, wherein the stimulation comprises the transcutaneous vibratory output having parameters comprising a perceived pitch, a perceived beat, and an intensity, wherein the transcutaneous vibratory output is produced by multiplicatively combining a sine wave-shaped envelope generated using the perceived beat with a wave pattern generated using the perceived pitch;

determine if the subject is in a pre-sleep state or a sleep state based on the physiological data; and

alter the transcutaneous vibratory output based on a determination that the subject is in at least one of the pre-sleep state or the sleep state,

wherein altering comprises at least one of (i) reducing a frequency of the perceived pitch, (ii) increasing an interval of the perceived beat, or (iii) reducing the intensity of the transcutaneous vibratory output.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the processor is further programmed to power off the stimulation device based on the determination that the subject is in the sleep state.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein reducing the frequency of the perceived pitch further comprises reducing the frequency of the perceived pitch to a first reduced frequency and maintaining the first reduced frequency for a first selected period of time.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the processor is programmed to reduce the first reduced frequency to a second reduced frequency and maintain the second reduced frequency for a second selected period of time.

15. The system of claim 11 , wherein increasing the interval of the perceived beat further comprises increasing the interval of the perceived beat to a first increased interval and maintaining the first increased interval for a first selected period of time.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the processor is further programmed to increase the first increased interval to a second increased interval and maintain the second increased interval for a second selected period of time.

17. The system of claim 11 , wherein reducing the intensity further comprises reducing the intensity to a first reduced intensity and maintaining the first reduced intensity for a selected first period of time.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the processor is further programmed to reduce the first reduced intensity to a second reduced intensity and maintain the second reduced intensity for a selected second period of time.

19. A method of treating sleeplessness or insomnia in a person that utilizes a therapeutic stimulation device comprising a transducer that is adapted to emit vibrations at selected frequencies toward a body part, the method comprising:

selecting a therapeutic stimulation pattern comprising two or more oscillations having different frequencies, wherein:

a first oscillation of the two or more oscillations exhibits a first frequency having a starting value that is in a range of approximately 1 to approximately 100 Hz,

a second oscillation of the two or more oscillations exhibits a second frequency initially differs from the first frequency by approximately 0.0001 to approximately 1 Hz, and

the two or more oscillations collectively form a beat output; and

emitting, with the transducer, the beat output as vibrations that correspond to the selected therapeutic stimulation pattern, wherein emitting the beat output comprises:

starting the first oscillation at an upper threshold frequency;

tapering the first oscillation down to a lower threshold frequency over a first period of time; and

maintaining the first oscillation at the lower threshold frequency during a second period of time.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein tapering the first oscillation down to the lower threshold frequency over the first period of time further comprises:

using a first tapering rate to taper the first oscillation down to a target frequency; and

when the first oscillation reaches the target frequency, reducing the first tapering rate to a second tapering rate when tapering the first oscillation from the target frequency to the lower threshold frequency.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the target frequency is approximately 100 Hz and the lower threshold frequency is approximately 40 Hz, approximately 33 Hz, approximately 30 Hz or approximately 1 Hz.

22. The method of claim 19 , wherein emitting the beat output further comprises:

starting the second oscillation at a first threshold frequency;

tapering the second oscillation down to a second threshold frequency; and

maintaining the second oscillation at the second threshold frequency.

23. The method of claim 19 , wherein the starting value of the first frequency is approximately 100 Hz, approximately 40 Hz, approximately 33 Hz, approximately 30 Hz or approximately 1 Hz.

24. The method of claim 19 , wherein the second period of time is at least 5 minutes.